Diaphragm pessary introducer



J n- 4, 194 w. 1.. SCHMITZ. JR 2,338,135

DIAPHRAGM PESSARY INTRODUQER Filed March 18, 1942 j/VVfA/TOR I 71 724 MM .5. Saw/02 z/k. fl 5) $2 H Patented Jan. 4-, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a diaphragm pessary introducer.

An object of the invention is to provide a diaphragm pessary introducer designed to hold a pessary in a deformed or abnormal position, in which position it may be introduced into the vaginal canal and then deposited or released therein so that the introducer can be withdrawn.

More specifica11y,'an object of the invention is to provide a diaphragm pessary introducer which will hold the conventional type of diaphragm pessary in an elongated or generally ovate form by holding opposite sides of the rim of the pessary squeezed toward each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaphragm pessary introducer in the form of a rod-like instrument having a bifurcated end with opposite sides of the bifurcation engaging the outer sides of the rim of the pessary at opposite sides thereof and holding these sides squeezed towards each other. With such an arrangement the diaphragm of the pessary may fold down in the bifurcation so that it forms a relatively large receptacle capable of receiving jelly that is usually applied to the pessary and maintain the jelly in the proper position so that it will adequately surround the cervix when the diaphragm is deposited in the vaginal canal. The bifurcation is also advantageous in that there is no solid or stiff object beneath the center of the diaphragm that will hinder the introduction of the pessary and the introducer into the vaginal canal, nor bruise the cervix or other soft tissues.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaphragm pessary introducer which is of rela- 1:.

tively simple construction having no moving parts and which can be easily cleaned and sterilized, and which is of such a design that the diaphragm pessary may be easily applied thereto and easily released in the vaginal canal without requiring disengagement of the pessary from the introducer by the insertion of the fingers.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a conventional diaphragm pessary illustrating in top plan the introducer embodying the present invention to which the pessary may be applied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the introducer illustrating the pessary as having been applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation of the introducer with the "pessary applied thereto and illustratingin dotted lines the position assumed by the introducer .in effecting a release of the pessary therefrom in the vaginal canal;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 4"4 upon Fig. 3 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line ll5 upon Fig. 3 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 6. is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the line 6-6 upon Fig. 5.

Referring to the accompanying drawing Wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, It indicates a conventional form of diaphragm pessary having a hemisphericall'y shaped diaphragm I i usually formed of thin elastic rubber, and a rim I2 which is usually in the formof a steel spring heavily coated with rubber. The diaphragm is either integral with or is attached to the rubber surrounding the spring that forms the rim. The rim is so formed that it is normally circular in shape as illustrated inFig. 1.

The introducer embodying the. present invention comprises a rod-like instrument l3 bent or curved intermediate its ends as at M providing a handle l5. having a hooked end I6. and a bifurcated end. ll, the bifurcation being illustrated at ill. The sides of the bifurcation which may be regarded as opposed legs or tines l9 and 28; present opposed concave surfaces 2| and 22 within which the rim l2 of the pessary' may be disposed. While these surfaces are concave adjacent the hlghpoints 23 and 24, the opposed walls approach being upright, being slightly inwardly inclined as indicated in Fig. 4. The top edges of the legs l9 and 20 rise from the forward ends 25- and, 26 to the high points 23 and 2 S, and then slope downwardly from the high points where they merge smoothly with the flattened body of the instrument in back of the crotch of the bifurcation. Thus, the high points 23 and zlm'ay be regarded as relatively blunt lobes or shoulders adapted to engage opposite sides of the rim ll? of the pessary on the outer sides thereof and to hold these portions of the rim squeezed toward each other as illustrated in Fig. 2. The concave surfaces 2! and 22 forwardly of the high points 23 and 24, diverge forwardly as at 21 and 28, so

wardly. From the high points 23 and 24 rear wardly the concave surfaces 2| and 22 may slightly diverge but they are nearly parallel.

The body of the instrument is made of a material possessing some degree of flexibility. I find that an excellent material to use is that composition sold on the market under the tradename of Lucite. By making the body of the instrument of such a material the legs l9 and 20 will have the desired amount of spring to accomplish the desired release of the pessary.

In applying the pessary to the instrument it is advisable to position the pessary in the palm of the hand with the convex side of the diaphragm against the palm. The opposed sides of the rim are then squeezed toward each other until they can be accommodated between the lips or shoulders formed by the high points 23 and, 24, the diametrically opposed portions of the rim are then positioned between these lobes or shoulders and may then be released.

As will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 2. while the diaphragm is thus held in abnormal position and is generally ovate, nevertheless the rim of the pessary is somewhat hour-glass shaped. Those portions indicated at 29 and 30 which project forwardly are forwardly divergent from the high points 23 and 24 and as these fit or bear against the forwardly diverging portions 2'! and 28 of the concave surfaces 2| and 22, the pessary cannot be forced or caused to slide rearwardly. In other words, the forwardly divergent portions 2% and 38 of the rim tend to wedge against the forwardly divergent portions 21 and 28 of the concave surfaces 2! and 22 and thus resist rearward sliding of the pessary with respect to the introducer.

When the pessary is thus applied the thin diaphragm ll tends to form a relatively deep, wide groove extending from substantially the forward end of the pessary to its rear end. The formation of such a groove is not interfered with because of the fact that the center of the diaphragm may suspend itself through the bifurcation l8. This groove in the diaphragm forms a relatively large receptacle for jelly that is normally applied and enables this jelly to be positioned centrally of the diaphragm so that it will be properly applied around the cervix when the pessary is introduced into the vaginal canal.

The introducer with the applied pessary may then be introduced into the vaginal canal, and on reaching the location of the cervix the handle !5 is manipulated so as to press the legs I9 and 26 upwardly against the top of the vaginal canal so that the introducer assumes a position with respect to the pessary as illustrated in dotted lines on Fig. In such an operation the body of the instrument acts somewhat as a lever being fulcrumed about the tips 25 and 25 causing the lips or high points 23 and 24 to be drawn downwardly from over the sides of the rim l2. This releases the pessary from the instrument. Such disengagement of the high point 23 from the rim is assisted by the slight give or flexibility of the material from which the instrument is made, en-

abling these to spread slightly so as to slip over the sides of the rim.

As will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 6 the rear ends of the legs at the sides of the bifurcation extend in upwardly divergent planes so that as the forward end of the instrument is pressed upwardly these legs tend to bend downwardly and to flatten with the result that the opposed shoulders or high points tend to spread, facilitating the release of the diaphragm rim.

With the pessary thus released from the instrument the instrument may be withdrawn from the vaginal canal and the pessary tends to return to its normal position underlying the cervix. It will be noted that the bifurcation IE not only accommodate the long central fold that is formed in the diaphragm l l but that there is no hard object at the location of the bifurcation that may engage and bruise the cervix or other delicate tissues.

The improved instrument is highly advantageous in that a single size of instrument may be used on all sizes of diaplnragms. As it is of onepiece and has rounded corners, it is easily cleaned and may be readily sterilized. The hook 16 may be used to engage the rim of the pessary to effect its withdrawal.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A diaphragm pessary introducer comprisrod-like instrument having a bifurcated end dividing the end of the instrument into two tines presenting opposed concave surfaces sloping outwardly and upwardly from the bottom edges of the tines, the top edges of the tines rising to lobes located intermediate the ends of the tines, the lobes extending toward each other to overhang the subjacent portion of the concave surface.

2'. A diaphragm pessary introducer comprising a rod-like instrument having a bifurcated end dividing the end of the instrument into two tines presenting opposed concave surfaces sloping outwardly and upwardly from the bottom edges of the tines, the top edges of the tines rising to lobes located intermediate the ends of the tines. the lobes extending toward each other to overhan the subjacent portion of the concave surface, the sections of the tines being sufliciently thin to enable them to be sprung relatively to the body of the instrument about upwardly divergent transverse lines adjacent the crotch of the bifurcation to facilitate separation of the lobes.

3. A diaphragm pessary introducer comprising a rod-like instrument presenting adjacent one end an upwardly concave surface, said end being longitudinally bifurcated to form two spaced tines, each of which has at its outer side a lobe arranged intermediate its ends which extends in wardly so as to overhang the subjacent concave surface.

WILLIAM L. SCHMITZ, JR. 

